[Guinean news] EU to send observer mission to legislative elections

The European Union will deploy a 24-person observer mission to monitor Guinea's oft-delayed legislative elections schedule (for the moment) for this September 24.

[Guinean news] New date for legislative elections set

Guinea's Independent National Electoral Commission has announced that long-delayed legislative elections have been scheduled for May 13, 2013. Though an opposition spokesman expressed disapproval. Guinea has been without a functioning National Assembly as a result of the delays.

[Guinean news] Legislative elections delayed

President Alpha Conde has announced that legislative elections originally scheduled for July 8 will be postponed indefinitely. The delay, demanded by the opposition, is designed to improve the voter registration process.

[Guinean news] Legislative elections set for July 18

Elections for a new Guinean National Assembly has been set for this upcoming July 8 by the country's Independent National Electoral Commission, according to RFI Afrique radio.

[Guinean news] Legislative elections postponed indefinitely

Guinean legislative elections scheduled for December 29 were postponed indefinitely, by the country's Independent National Electoral Comission. The postponement came in response to opposition demands for a delay to prevent fraud.

[Guinean news] Govt bans opposition protest

The Guinean government banned a major opposition protest scheduled for this week, reports Reuters. The Minister for Territorial Administration said of the opposition, "They just want to create trouble to prevent investors coming into the country ... They did not even seek authorization for it," Opposition figures said the ban was not legal and accused the administration of trying to rig December's legislative elections of behalf of Pres. Alpha Conde's party.

[Guinean news] Legislative elections set for Dec. 29

Guinea's Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) has set December 29 as the new date for anticipated legislative elections. The CENI will engage in a six-week long revision of the electoral lists, starting on October 3.

[Guinean news] Legislative elections scheduled for November

According to Guineenews, Guinea's Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) has announced that legislative elections will be held this November. The CENI also announced that 200 million FG (a little under US$30,000) would be allocated for the conduct of the polls.

[Guinean news] Condé declared winner by court; Diallo accepts defeat

RPG leader Alpha Condé has been officially declared winner of the Guinean presidential election by the country's Supreme Court.

Crucially, UFGD leader Cellou Dalein Diallo accepted the Court's decision, although he did contend that they didn't take his complaints into account.

[Guinean news] State of emergency declared

Both Guinéenews and Radio France Internationale are reporting that Gen. Sékouba Konaté has declared a state of emergency in Guinea following post-electoral violence which has claimed several lives. Gen. Konaté declared that the state of emergency would last until definitive election results were announced by the Supreme Court.

[Guinean news] Conde declared winner by Electoral Commission

Long-time opposition leader Alpha Conde has been declared the winner of the presidential runoff election by Guinea's Independent National Electoral Commission. The body credited the RPG leader with 52.5 percent of the vote compared to 47.5 percent for UFDG leader and former prime minister Cellou Dalein Diallo.

However, it remains to be seen whether Diallo's supporters will accept the result, after the party withdrew from the vote counting procedure.

Following the announcement of Conde's victory, gunshots were reportedly heard in several parts of Conakry. However, Diallo made a public appeal, urging Guineans to 'avoid violence' while the Supreme Court investigated allegations of electoral irregularities.

[Guinean news] Clashes sparked as both candidates declare victory

Both candidates in Guinea’s presidential runoff have declared victory, sparking clashes between supporters and police.

RPG candidate Alpha Condé claimed a poll win during a press conference. The long-time opposition leader asked, "How is it that I can win 4 of the 5 communes in Conakry, all of the prefectures in Lower Guinea except for Boke, all the prefectures of the Forest and all the prefectures in Upper Guinea and not win the election?"

UFDG candidate Cellou Dalein Diallo went one step further: proclaiming himself president of the Republic.

The declaration came a day after the UFDG withdrew from the vote counting process. Diallo declared he would not accept the outcome of the vote because the election commission has refused to throw out ballots from two contested provinces [Siguiri and Kouroussa] which were swept by anti-Peul riots in the days before the poll. Diallo said his supporters were too intimidated to show up to vote and his party could not even find representatives to oversee the counting of ballots, reported the Canadian Press.

The International Criminal Court urged Guineans to avoid the same post-electoral bloodshed that tore apart Kenya a few years ago.


According to the most recent figures available from Guinea’s Independent Electoral Commission, Diallo had a narrow 50.62%-49.38% but with just under half the votes counted. However, Voice of America’s Conakry correspondent opined that Condé is likely to win, suggesting that this is what sparked the UFDG boycott.

[Guinean news] Election day resources

Today, Guineans are voting in the long-delayed presidential run off election between former prime minister Cellou Dallein Diallo and long-time opposition leader Alpha Conde.

Here are a some Twitter feeds that are covering the election to vary degrees. (Click on the links to go to the pages)

-Alliance Guinea

-Guineenews (in French)

-African Elections Project - Guinea

-Radio France Internationale - Afrique (in French)

[Guinean news] Nov. 7th new date for presidential run-off

Guinea's long delayed presidential run-off election has a new scheduled date: November 7.

Note: Make sure to follow FOG's Twitter feed for regular updates.

[Guinean news] Families of massacre victims banned from gathering

Today, the families of the 157 people killed in Conakry’s 28 September Stadium were banned from gathering or approaching the venue to mark the first anniversary of the massacre.

In a statement read Tuesday on state TV, the Minister of Religious Affairs Mustapha Koutoubou Sanoh asked the families of the victims to mark the date by praying for their loved one at the nearest mosque or church. Implicit in his instructions was the fact that families would not be allowed to march to the stadium, or enter it to place flowers as they had planned, reports the Associated Press.

Military trucks blocked entrances to the stadium and were also stationed at key intersections, the wire service added.

Voice of America noted that a foundation has been set up to keep alive the memory of the victims and to push for accountability for the peretrators.

For its part, Human Rights Watch called for the implementation of long-delayed justice for the stadium massacre.

Additionally, NGOs called for sweeping reforms of the Guinean military.

Meanwhile, there may be another delay in the presidential runoff, now proposed for October 10.

[Guinean news] Oct. 10 proposed as new poll date

Guinea's Independent National Electoral Commission has proposed October 10 as the date for the long delayed presidential election runoff.

[Guinean news] Suspicious fire at elections HQ

The website Portail des élections d'Afrique reports that there was a fire at the Almamy Samory Touré military camp in Conakry, which is the central location for housing ballot papers and other electoral materials. The website reports that the fire happened in 'mysterious circumstances' but noted that further information has been hard to come by.

[Guinean news] Guinea runoff postponed indefinitely following violence

The Guinean state broadcaster RTG has announced that the second round of the presidential election has been postponed. Junta leader Gen. Sékouba Konaté has pushed back the Sept. 19 runoff ‘indefinitely,’ according to Guinéenews. The BBC World Service radio speculated that the delay might be for two weeks.

The postponement followed weekend clashes between supporters of former prime minister Cellou Dalein Diallo and Prof. Alpha Condé, which left one dead and 50 injured. In a speech to the nation, Gen. Konaté also urged the rival candidates to keep their partisans under control.

The World Service also reported on logistical problems. The Independent National Electoral Commission noted that it was missing some 460,000 voting cards due to arrive from South Africa on Sunday night, the evening of the originally scheduled runoff.

[Guinean news] Second round set for September 19

The ruling military junta has confirmed that the second round of Guinea's presidential election is scheduled for September 19. It will involve former prime minister Cellou Dalein Diallo and longtime opposition leader Alpha Condé, who received 43.7% and 18.3% of the vote respectively in the first round.

[Guinean news] Poll date still unconfirmed

It is still unclear when the second round of Guinea's presidential election will take place. The runoff was supposed to be held on July 18 however it was delayed while the Supreme Court ruled on claims of voting irregularities. Prime Minister Jean-Marie Dore proposed August 22 for the runoff, which was seconded by Cellou Dalein Diallo, the leading vote getter in the first round. However, it is not certain when the poll will be scheduled. Diallo will face off against long time opposition leader Alpha Conde.